DC father who lost 3 sons to violence still seeks meeting with city officials; mayor says 'no'

WASHINGTON - A D.C. father continues his quest for answers after losing three sons to violent crimes in the District.

John Evans is the father of 14-year-old Avion Evans who died April 4 after authorities say he was shot and killed at the Brookland Metro station in northeast D.C. Avion’s death comes eight years after his older brother Johnny Evans III was stabbed to death at the Deanwood Metro station in April 2016.

The family went through another loss last May when Avion’s half-brother John Coleman was reportedly shot on M Street, NE. Evans said he was doing handiwork for a neighbor.

Evans said the family has heard from the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, but he would like to speak with D.C. leadership about crime concerns. FOX 5 asked D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser about the shooting on April 10.

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"I’m not going to talk about their concerns with you. I’ll talk to them about it because obviously, that’s troubling to us," she said on April 10.

Thursday will mark three weeks since Avion’s death. Evans said as of Wednesday, his family still hasn’t heard from the mayor.

FOX 5 asked Mayor Muriel Bowser on Wednesday if she has spoken with the family since the shooting.

"I don’t talk about my discussions with families," Bowser said Wednesday.

FOX 5 followed up by clarifying that the intention was not to ask the mayor to divulge private conversations. Our question was whether she planned to meet with the Evans family at all.

"No," Bowser answered.

When FOX 5 asked why she did not have plans to meet the Evans family, her response at the press event was, "I’ve answered your question. Any other questions?"

RELATED: Father of two murdered teens awaits meeting with D.C. officials: 'We love our kids'

Evans said he was disappointed in the response from the mayor.

Victim specialists are available through the Metropolitan Police Department, which has a branch dedicated to services. Ashley McHenry serves as a specialist and says the office strives to meet with every victim or family member of the victims, depending on the situation.

"Whether they choose to move forward with the case or they don’t, we make sure they have those wrap-around services to help them," McHenry said.

Specialists serve as a liaison between victims and detectives, she told FOX 5.

"You just imagine your darkest day and having someone calling you with a comforting voice to tell you, you don’t have to understand everything right now but you have someone there that’s going to walk you through this process after such a traumatic event takes place. That’s what we’re here to do at victims’ services branch," she explained.

For more information on the MPD Victim Services’ branch, click here.